


You Learn Something New Everyday

by RL4r



Series: FWP-series w/ Hidashi [6]
Category: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dorks in Love, FWP-Fluff without Plot, I love writing about these idiots so much, M/M, Medical Students! AU, Not-Related! AU, Not-brothers! AU, Older Hiro, Sorry Not Sorry, Very very fluffy, alternate universe-not related, because that's totally a thing, but don't worry they don't end up stalking them, hidashi, obviously, or at least I think it's a thing, pwahahaaa, they're not on that level
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-16
Updated: 2015-06-16
Packaged: 2018-04-04 15:26:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4142907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RL4r/pseuds/RL4r
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had never occurred to Tadashi that he and Hiro had never really gone on a “real” date since they became boyfriends until one of his old customers points it out to him (whoops). With gentle coaxing from his friends, Tadashi decides to take Hiro out on a “legitimate” date for the first time. </p><p>Along the way, the two discover things about the other that they hadn’t known before. On Tadashi’s end, he discovers the perfect gift to get his boyfriend (and since Hiro’s birthday was in about a week anyway, he gets it for him, much to Hiro’s delight). On Hiro’s end, he discovers something from Tadashi’s childhood that changes his perspective on Tadashi drastically.</p><p>That is, Hiro discovers one of Tadashi’s oldest insecurities and promptly resolves to make sure it doesn’t cause Tadashi to doubt himself or doubt Hiro’s affection for him. Fluffiness ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Learn Something New Everyday

**Author's Note:**

> Ackkkkkkkk sorry about the late update. SIGH WHERE DID A WHOLE MONTH GO. WHAT. /cries horrified tears 
> 
> Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter (finally, a chapter about an official date!). I worked REALLY hard on it. *cries* It was a little embarrassing to write, because I have absolutely ZERO dating experience…so it was a really hard to figure out all the ins and outs of Hiro and Tadashi’s date. I apologize if any of it may seem “unnatural”, because I just don’t have experience to draw from like I did for my other installments (*sighs deeply*).  
> But regardless, I’m glad that it’s super fluffy and a little silly. I also really love the fact that I could “design” outfits for Hiro and Tadashi (designing cute outfits is always fun <3) I’d love to be able to draw out some stuff for this series one day. Oh and of course I finally got to include the nerd gang again haha. I miss writing them...more than I realized.  
> This story takes place about 2 weeks since the last installment. It alludes quite a bit to the third installment, so if you haven't had the chance to read that particular one, I'd recommend doing so now. lol 
> 
> Once again, I apologize about the longggggg wait. orz

You Learn Something New Everyday

 

            “Go on home darling. I’ll be fine now that the nurse has given me my meds.”

 

            Tadashi smiled gently at the old lady conversing with him, moving closer to gently hold her hand.

 

            “I’m glad you’re feeling better Mrs. Matsuda,” Tadashi said warmly. “But I couldn’t possibly leave you here alone before the attending returns to properly discharge you. Really, it’s no trouble at all for me to stay here until she returns.”

 

            Mrs. Matsuda, a spry 80 year old, had suffered from a brief but debilitating asthma attack and had been rushed to the hospital earlier in the afternoon. When Tadashi got word that one of Lucky Cat’s Café’s most beloved customers was in the emergency room, he had gone to see her right away (luckily his preceptor was understanding enough to excuse him from the hospital informatics lab early). He had spent the last couple of hours with her, assessing her vital signs and her general disposition every so often with a little help from Baymax. Tadashi knew that he wasn’t supposed to use Baymax to scan patients he wasn’t directly in charge of taking care of (it technically wasn’t exactly “legal”), but he had wanted to be doubly sure that she was well. Much to his relief, she seemed fine, now that her asthma attack had been addressed with the appropriate treatments.

 

            “You were always a polite one Tadashi,” Mrs. Matsuda said softly. “But so stubborn you are. I’m sure you have better things to do than to hang out with an old lady like me.”

 

            “No, not at all Mrs. Matsuda,” Tadashi said earnestly. “Besides, Aunt Cass would kill me if she knew I didn’t make sure you got safely home after such an ordeal.”

 

            “You’re as funny as you are handsome,” Mrs. Matsuda said, laughing softly. “But you know, it’s funny that you say that you don’t have anything to do, because I recall your aunt telling me that you have a boyfriend now? Doesn’t he take up all of your time?”

 

            “…Um well, yes I do have a boyfriend,” Tadashi replied, blushing a bright red. He wasn’t particular surprised that Aunt Cass had told Mrs. Matsuda about his current love life, but he still couldn’t help but blush at the thought of his relationship with Hiro being talked about. “But that’s neither here nor there.”

 

            “I beg to differ! I hope you’re treating the young man well. Do you treat him to things?”

 

            “Yeah, I treat him. He treats me too. You see Baymax over here? My boyfriend made him and gave him to me.”

 

            “Oh how charming!”  Mrs. Matsuda exclaimed as Baymax waved at her and introduced himself.

 

            “Yeah, my boyfriend’s pretty amazing. Maybe I’ll introduce him to you one day Mrs. Matsuda.”

 

            “Mmm yes, I’d love that. Have you two gone on any dates?”

 

            “Um…a few I guess. Most of them were just spent at home though.”

 

            “You’ve never gone to dinner or something?” Mrs. Matsuda asked, tone incredulous. “Call me old-fashioned but…I would’ve thought that was one of the first things you’d do.”

 

            “Ahaha...well, I guess the two of us are just busy with rotations and whatnot,” Tadashi said, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. “But a formal date would be nice… I guess.”

 

            “Why so nervous Tadashi dear?” Mrs. Matsuda couldn’t help but tease lightly, noticing Tadashi’s increasingly flustered behavior.

 

            “Well…I’ve never liked anyone as much as I like Hiro. My boyfriend’s name is Hiro by the way,” Tadashi explained. It was true though: it wasn’t like Tadashi hadn’t gone on dates before, but he had never liked anyone quite as much as he liked Hiro. “So the idea of a formal date just makes me…really nervous.”

 

            “Well, I hope you’re not implying that your nerves will stop you from treating your boyfriend to something nice and fun.”

 

            “N-no, I suppose not. Maybe I’ll ask my friends for some help.”

 

            Just as Tadashi reached that particular conclusion, he and Mrs. Matsuda were interrupted by the attending physician (named Dr. Leona) pulling back the curtain surrounding the bed.

 

            “Hello Mrs. Matsuda. I’m happy to let you know that you’re all set to go. Just fill out a couple of discharge forms please and you can be on your way.” Dr. Leona said, holding a clipboard with a couple of forms attached to it.

 

            “Best news I’ve heard all day. Alright Tadashi, be a dear and pass those forms to me please.” Mrs. Matsuda said, relief in her voice.

 

            “Yes Mrs. Matsuda.” Tadashi replied, handing over the clipboard and pulling out a pen from his pocket for her.

 

            “Aren’t you Dr. Augusto’s student? You look vaguely familiar.”

 

            “Yes I am,” Tadashi said. “I have to apologize. Mrs. Matsuda is an old friend of my aunt and I, so when I heard she was sick, I just rushed here as fast as I could. I’m sorry for any intrusion.”

 

            “No I completely understand,” Dr. Leona said with a small smile. “Emergencies happen. Anyway, are you going to take Mrs. Matsuda home? Or is someone else going to do it?”

 

            “Oh I’ll be going home by car service,” Mrs. Matsuda muttered, handing back her completed forms. “I’m a tough gal but I’m not young enough to be sitting on a moped anymore. Thank you so much doctor. I can expect my bill to be in the mail in a couple of days?”

 

            “Yes Mrs. Matsuda. I’m glad to hear that you have arrangements. Enjoy the rest of your day. Take care of yourself as well Tadashi. I’ll see you around.”

 

            “Yes, Dr. Leona. Have a good evening!”

 

            Tadashi made sure that Mrs. Matsuda got out of the hospital safely and waited briefly with her for her car to pick her up in the visitor’s parking lot. Before he made his commute back home, he shot a quick phone call to Honey Lemon. She was the most likely out of his friends to pick up her phone and he knew she had a better way of gathering everyone up together than he ever did.

 

            “Hello? Tadashi?” Honey Lemon answered on the second ring, ever so cheerful.

 

            “Hi Honey Lemon. Are you up for a short stop at the Lucky Cat Café today? There’s something I need to discuss with you and the rest of the gang…” Tadashi asked sheepishly.

 

***

 

            “And so that’s why we’re all gathered here today at the Lucky Cat Café.” Tadashi said, finishing his story about how Mrs. Matsuda pointed out that he hadn’t brought Hiro on an “official” date yet. The group of friends had seated themselves at a table in a corner of the café when they had arrived (about 5 minutes before Tadashi arrived himself), wanting to keep the conversation a little more private. The first thing Tadashi did when he saw them was ask them what drinks they happened to want so that he could help the barista prepared them in the back. It didn’t take too long for Tadashi to finish up all of the orders and to bring them all out; as his friends drank their individual delicious drinks (all on the house of course), Tadashi had told them about his day at the hospital and why he (with Honey Lemon’s expertise) had gathered them all together on such short notice.

 

            His group of friends blinked at him in collective surprise before bursting into excited chatter amongst themselves.

 

            “Oh my god, how could we have never realized that Tadashi hadn’t brought Hiro on an official date yet?” Honey Lemon exclaimed.

 

            “Guess they’re such a natural couple that it sort of slipped all of our minds.” Fred said.

 

            “So natural that they won a couple-competition when they had only been together for a month.” Wasabi muttered as he took a long sip from his specially marked coffee cup.

 

            “Well this just won’t do! Tadashi, you have to take Hiro out of a date…a formal one.” Honey Lemon said, staring at Tadashi intensely. Tadashi felt sweat on his forehead all of a sudden (Honey Lemon’s determined stares were something to be feared).

 

            “Well yeah, I’d love to? Problem is, I want to make sure Hiro will have a good time…and I’m a little lost about the whole thing. I don’t even know where to start.” Tadashi said, slightly embarrassed. Gogo barked out a laugh, much to the surprise of all of her friends.

 

            “Oh so that’s what this was all about,” Gogo said, shaking her head in Tadashi’s direction. “You gathered us here today for a ‘study session’, but instead of science facts we’re going to be bouncing around ideas for a date instead.”

 

            “That’s…one way of putting it I guess…” Tadashi conceded. Gogo popped her gum soundly before proceeding with her train of thought.

 

            “So let’s agree that each one of us has to contribute something for this date since Tadashi’s so lost,” Gogo said, smirking at the group of friends. “Having bragging rights will keep things interesting.”

 

            “W-what?” Tadashi said, shocked. Gogo shot him a look that practically screamed, “You heard me”.

 

            “Oh oh oh! I call dibs on picking out Hiro’s outfit!” Honey Lemon said enthusiastically, waving her hand in the air, almost knocking her iced caramel latte over in her excitement.

 

            “Oh! Can I be your partner in crime for that job Honey?” Fred asked.

 

            “Of course Freddy. Oh my gosh he’s going to look so cute!”Honey Lemon gushed, much to Tadashi’s embarrassment. He was sure that she was going to do a GREAT job, and that made him just a teensy bit worried.

 

            “That won’t count as your job though Fred,” Gogo said, cutting into the conversation between the enthusiastic duo. “You have to make a separate contribution.”

 

            “Oh don’t worry about it. I’ll get them movie tickets as part of my contribution. The newest Marvel movie is out and I’m sure Tadashi and Hiro haven’t had a chance to watch it yet. Right Tadashi?” Fred asked.

 

            “No, you’re completely right Fred. Hiro nor I have had the time.” Tadashi affirmed. 

 

            “Good. Getting tickets will be easy. My parents know the owners of the movie theater at the mall.”

 

            “Wasabi?” Gogo asked.

 

            “My uncle owns a really nice sushi restaurant not too far from the movie theater. I can get you a reservation there and at half the normal price. I’m assuming Hiro likes sushi?”

 

            “Haven’t had sushi with him…but yeah, I assume he does.” Tadashi answered.

 

            “What about you Gogo?” Honey Lemon asked.

 

            “Well obviously I’ll help Tadashi with HIS outfit. We can’t forget the mother hen guys.”

 

            The group of friends burst into laughter at the mention of Tadashi’s old “group label”, much to Tadashi’s embarrassment.

 

            “Thanks guys. I really appreciate it.” Tadashi said warmly, scratching the back of his neck in a shy manner.

 

            “Just don’t mess it up.” Gogo said sharply, taking a sip from her coffee.

 

            “I have faith in you Tadashi!! I’m sure it won’t be too nerve-raking. You guys have been dating for almost four months after all!” Honey Lemon said.

 

            “And as Wasabi said, you guys conquered my school’s annual couple challenge like it was the easiest thing to do in the world,” Fred added. “Which, by the way, it’s not. It’s quite hard actually. And yet you guys managed anyway!”

 

            “Just remember to bring breath mints and deodorant. A fresh pair of underpants if you think you’ll need them.” Wasabi offered.

 

            “Ugh, not this again.” Gogo said, grimacing. Tadashi chuckled. 

 

            “Alright, I’ll call Hiro about this later tonight. Then I’ll let you guys know what day we’ll set the date for.” Tadashi said.

 

            “Why don’t you call him right now?” Fred asked.

 

            “He’s probably busy with a project right now, so he’s not going to pick up. Seriously, I’ll let you guys know by tonight.”

 

            “Fine…” Fred acquiesced, pouting slightly.

 

            “Ok I’ve got to head to the gym, so I’m going to go, since we’ve finished our talk anyway.” Gogo said, standing up and throwing away her finished dark chocolate latte.

 

            “Hey Gogo, don’t leave without me! Who’s going to drive you there?” Wasabi asked indignantly, getting up as well and following the shorter woman.

 

            “I had better start preparations for what Hiro’s going to wear. Freddie, would you like to come over so we can discuss?” Honey Lemon asked.

 

            “Sure thing! Yo Wasabi, can you please drop us off?” Fred asked, trailing after his friend.

 

            “Bye Tadashi! Talk to you soon!” Honey Lemon called, waving at Tadashi.

 

            Tadashi chuckled at his friends’ antics. After cleaning up the table, Tadashi picked up his things and headed upstairs to his room (it seemed that Aunt Cass had stepped out to go to the bathroom or something, saving Tadashi the trouble of having to explain why his friends had come into the café). He thought about calling Hiro right then and there, but resisted; instead, he busied himself with some research and data interpretation. After all, pulling out of the drug information lab early put him behind on his work.

 

            Tadashi didn’t call Hiro until about 10, but when he did, Hiro picked up the phone fairly quickly.

 

            “Yes, you big nerd?” Hiro answered. Tadashi chuckled softly.

 

            “Hey Hiro, how are you doing?” Tadashi asked affectionately.

 

            “You mean since the last time you called me, which was only about a day ago? Nothing much has changed. What’s up?”

 

            “You know Hiro…are you…happy?” Tadashi asked, his sentence ending in a whisper.

 

            “Uh….what’s going on Tadashi? I have some concerns.”

 

            “You see…something sort of crazy happened today,” Tadashi explained. “Long story short, we got onto the topic of my relationship with you, and I’ve realized that I haven’t actually taken you out on an official date yet since we became boyfriends.”

 

            There was a brief pause on Hiro’s end before Tadashi’s ears were filled with Hiro’s charming laughter. He couldn’t help but laugh along with Hiro (his laughter, at least to Tadashi, was contagious) despite how nervous he was feeling.

 

            “And that’s what has your boxers in a knot? Oh god,” Hiro said, slightly breathless from laughing. “You’re too much sometimes.”

 

            “But would you like to go on a date with me? We can go watch a movie and have dinner, if you’d like. Our friends have agreed to help arrange the movie and the dinner, so it’s not going to be that expensive. Oh, do you happen to like sushi? I’ve never asked.”

 

            “Haha yeah, I like sushi. Quite a bit actually.”

 

            “Ok, good to know because Wasabi’s uncle’s restaurant is a sushi restaurant, so we don’t have to change any plans there. Also, since the movie theater is in the mall, we can do a little shopping after the movie too, if you want.”

 

            “Haha…well…I suppose it’d be a good change in pace,” Hiro replied. “Sure thing Tadashi. I’d love to go on an ‘official’ date with you. When do you want to go?”

 

            “I’m free this coming Saturday…Will you be?”

 

            “…Cuts into my precious robotics time…but since you asked SO nicely…sure, I’m free.” Hiro joked lightly.

 

            “Hiro…” Tadashi whined.

 

            “Sorry, you’re just too fun to mess with.” Hiro replied. Tadashi could just imagine the bratty grin on Hiro’s face at the moment.

 

            “Oh, I’ve forgotten to mention…but Honey Lemon and Fred have decided to help you pick your outfit for the date.” Tadashi explained. He could practically see Hiro frowning in his mind at the news.

 

            “Our friends aren’t going to be stalking us too are they? Because if they are....”

 

            “No, no! They wouldn’t stoop that low. Besides, they’re college students too…they’re busy with class work and studying.”

 

            “Ok well, it was really nice of them to help us out like that. What time should we meet up?” Hiro asked.

 

            “Let’s meet at the mall at 11. Movies usually start at 11:30, so arriving at 11 will give us enough time to get snacks and find good seats.”

 

            “Alright. That’s fine with me.”

 

            “Ok, I’ll leave you alone for the rest of the night. Good night Hiro, and sweet dreams.”

 

            “Night.” Hiro said, ending the call.

 

            Tadashi promptly texted his friends after he finished his call with Hiro. _I set the date to be this upcoming Saturday. We’ll be meeting at the mall at 11 to catch the early viewing of the movie._

 

            Unsurprisingly, Honey Lemon was the first to respond (with a lot of excited emoticons); what DID catch Tadashi by surprise was Gogo texting him personally (as in outside the group chat), requesting that Tadashi set aside tomorrow afternoon to go shopping with her.

 

            He agreed to her offer and subsequently went to bed in high spirits. _Mrs. Matsuda would be proud_ Tadashi thought right before he passed out for the night.

 

***

           

-          _Fast forward to Saturday morning –_

 

            Tadashi was nervous. There was no denying it. His hands, against his will, were getting a little clammy; he also found himself gripping the brim of his favorite baseball cap every couple of minutes, a calming habit that was born from his early high school years.

 

            But he supposed that being nervous was normal and perfectly expected. If worst came to worst and the date turned out to be a disaster, he could always strike an agreement with Hiro to pretend that it never happened and they could go back to their routine of bumming in Hiro’s garage.

 

            _Now you’re just being silly Tadashi. You’re in a relationship with the guy already! You’ll be fine._ Tadashi thought to himself.

 

            Tadashi peeked down at his outfit for the tenth time since he had arrived at the entrance of the mall, 15 minutes early. He personally thought that he was hardly wearing anything worth writing home about, but according to Gogo, he finally “woman-ed up” (and according to Gogo lingo, that was the best compliment possible, so he supposed he was ok). He was sporting a new black V-neck shirt that Gogo had picked out for him (he had obviously paid for it himself though), with the dip of the V revealing just the uppermost part of his sternum, along with a pair of faded black jeans; he was also sporting a new pair of black sneakers with thin white stripes running along the sides that Aunt Cass bought for him a couple of years back (but because he loved his mint-colored converses so much, he never got around to wearing them until now). 

 

            The funny thing about the whole thing was that Tadashi actually wore black V-necks quite often, but the “scandalous” factor of his V-necks was always toned down either by his cardigans or his blazers (or sometimes the two in combination when it got cold). For the first time in awhile though, he had neither of the two articles of clothing to “cover” him up; admittedly, he doubted that he looked bad in the V-neck, but he couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious too. Tadashi wasn’t in bad shape by any means, but ever since his rotations had started, it had been harder for him to work out, so he wasn’t as toned as he would’ve wanted to be.

 

            Tadashi was so focused on his thoughts that he didn’t realize that someone was quickly approaching him from his left. He nearly jumped out of his pants a couple of seconds later at the sound of someone clearing their throat to get his attention. Unsurprisingly, it was Hiro finally arriving to their arranged date (who else would approach such a nervous wreck anyway?); Tadashi suddenly felt his heartbeat hammering in his ears at the sight of his boyfriend.

 

            Objectively speaking, Hiro wasn’t dressed in anything particularly fancy; however, that hardly meant that he didn’t look absolutely adorable (even more so than usual that is). Hiro was dressed in a baggy heather gray sweater that reached just below his hips; the collar of the sweater was quite wide, leaving the sweater to hang loosely on Hiro’s small shoulders and leaving his neck and prominent collar bone exposed. Tadashi also couldn’t help but notice that the sleeves were quite long, reaching just past Hiro’s knuckles; quite honestly, it looked like Hiro was drowning in the sweater, and that made Tadashi’s heart leap up into his throat (much to his embarrassment). The sweater was complimented by a simple pair of form-fitting black jeans and a new pair of black converses (with the white tips).

 

            “You look…cute. Really cute.” Tadashi said, trying to beat down the blush that was currently consuming his cheeks (he was failing quite horribly though).

 

            “T-thanks,” Hiro replied, blushing himself. “It was all thanks to Honey Lemon and Fred, as you know. I’m assuming that Gogo was the one that chose your outfit?”

 

            “Y-yeah,” Tadashi said. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was crying a little because he was sure that Honey chose this particular outfit for Hiro because she knew ALL about his thing for Hiro’s tiny size (and BOY did that baggy sweater emphasize that perfectly). Fred was probably in on the whole thing too because the resemblance to the INFAMOUS picture of Hiro, taken awhile back, was uncanny. “She insisted that the nerdy cardigan look had to go.”

 

            “You look…r-really nice,” Hiro said, briefly hiding his face in his hands. “I’m kind of grateful that you wear a cardigan and blazer on a regular basis now though. Can’t have you utilizing that V-neck power of yours too often or I’m going to get myself into trouble.”

 

            “Ahaha…You say the darnest things when you’re embarrassed.” Tadashi said, ruffling Hiro’s hair affectionately.

 

            “Says the guy who’s as red as a tomato right now,” Hiro said, blowing a raspberry at Tadashi. However, he eagerly took Tadashi’s hand in his own. “Come on, we have a movie to catch.”

 

            “Man…it’s so weird. I feel like I haven’t watched movie in theaters in years. I heard from Fred, who goes to the movies more often, that they did renovations last month.” Tadashi said as they entered the mall.

 

            “Same. I think the last movie I saw in theaters was ‘Pacific Rim’ or something…”

 

            “That was like…two years ago…”

 

            “Exactly…”

 

            The two found the movie theater in the mall (it was on the top floor and all the way towards the back of the building) without much trouble. Thanks to Fred, the two not only got free tickets to see the 3D viewing of the movie, but they also got complimentary snacks and drinks (unsurprisingly, Hiro made sure to get himself a couple of packs of gummy bears, much to Tadashi’s amusement). When they turned in their vouchers for snacks, Tadashi and Hiro found out that the theater had actually become a “Dine-in” theater (as in they offered actual full course meals to people watching movies), much to their surprise. But seeing as how they had dinner planned in a couple of hours, they refused the service; still, Tadashi could admit that it was quite an interesting idea.

 

            Much to Tadashi’s amusement and Hiro’s indignation, the person collecting tickets asked for Hiro’s ID; however, just to make things fair, Tadashi pulled out his ID to show the person as well. After she was satisfied with both of their IDs, the two proceeded to the assigned room.

 

            “Ugh, do I look 10 or something? This movie isn’t even rated R, why did she need ID?” Hiro grumbled. Based on Hiro's heated reaction, Tadashi could safely assume that Hiro was self-conscious about his young-looking face and his small build.

 

            “There there,” Tadashi said, patting Hiro tenderly on the head, trying to cheer his boyfriend up. “Maybe it’s just a policy this theater has to check everyone’s ID. At least you get to see my mugshot.”

 

            “Heh, it’s not as bad as mine.” Hiro said, chuckling lightly at Tadashi’s statement. “Here, have a closer look.”

 

            Tadashi took Hiro’s ID and glanced over it. What ended up catching his eye wasn’t the picture (the picture wasn’t nearly as bad as Hiro made it out to be, but maybe he was biased), but rather Hiro’s date of birth.

 

            “Your birthday’s in a week?!” Tadashi exclaimed, looking at the small bolded numbers.

 

            “Oh. Right, yeah it is. Heh, it always slips my mind because I don’t really celebrate it. Well, ever since my dad got sick and passed away anyway.”

 

            “Well, that’s going to change this year. I swear on it.” Tadashi said, handing Hiro back his ID.

 

            “I don’t know if I can handle spending time with you so soon again.” Hiro joked, holding open the door to the movie room.

 

            “Oh I’m hurt.” Tadashi clutched his heart.

 

            “You’ll live.”

 

            It seemed like the surprises this theater had in store for Tadashi didn’t end at the concession stand: Tadashi had never seen a theater with such…unique seats and seating arrangement to match. The seats weren’t your typical kind of theater seats; rather, they were more like miniature couches. Tadashi blushed slightly when he realized that the seats were purposefully arranged so that couples (assumed to be two people) could comfortably cuddle during whatever movie they happened to be watching.

 

            “Imagine how awkward these seats would be for people traveling in groups of three or people coming in alone.” Hiro said, calmly sipping his cup of soda. Tadashi laughed, hoping that Hiro couldn’t tell how flustered he had gotten in the past couple of seconds. _How is it that Hiro can play it so cool while I’m just this blushing mess?_ Tadashi thought sadly.

 

            “Y-yeah. Where shall we sit?” Tadashi said, changing the subject.

 

            “The best spot is right in the center.” Hiro said, weaving through a couple of seats before sitting down.

 

            “Oh. These seats are perfect. Good eye.” Tadashi said as he glanced at the movie screen. They weren’t too close to the screen nor were they too far.

 

            “They are, relative to the screen I guess. Too bad they’re spaced out so much that I can’t put my feet up on the seat in front of me.” Hiro groused.

 

            “Oh, so you’re one of THOSE people. Here, you can place your feet on my lap.” Tadashi offered.

 

            “No thanks. I’d much rather do this.” Hiro said, comfortably leaning against Tadashi, wrapping a thin arm around Tadashi’s waist.

 

            “Are you trying to seduce me?” Tadashi joked, patting Hiro’s hair.

 

            “I don’t need to try. I already have haven’t I?”

 

            “Haha you’re hilarious.”

 

            “Lighten up Tadashi. It’s odd seeing you so nervous. C’mon, you’re just hanging out with plain old me.”

 

            Tadashi blinked briefly before gently kissing Hiro on the forehead.

 

            “I’m nervous _because_ it’s you. Way to not understand my feelings at all, knucklehead.”

 

            “Fine. Just don’t be so nervous that you don’t get to enjoy the movie.” Hiro said softly. Just as he finished his thought, the room went dark and the first preview started playing.

 

            “I’ll try…but I don’t think I’m going to succeed…” Tadashi whispered under his breath. Despite the fact that his heart was beating a little faster than normal, he pulled Hiro closer to him.

 

            On Hiro’s end, he simply smiled contently; he had three hours to enjoy this after all.

 

***

 

            “That movie was…kind of mediocre.” Tadashi said as the two exited the movie theater three hours later. Despite the fact that they didn’t have to wait until after the credits for the additional scene, Hiro and Tadashi had stayed behind because they had wanted to avoid the crowd (not to mention on Hiro’s end, he enjoyed cuddling with Tadashi too much to give it up sooner than he absolutely had to).

 

            “Yeah. But the family behind us seemed to have really enjoyed it, judging by how loud they were.” Hiro said, taking off his 3D glasses and dumping them into the assigned receptacle.

 

            “Guess I didn’t end up enjoying the movie. Different reason for that fact though.” Tadashi said, giggling a little at the irony.

 

            “I wonder if Fred enjoyed that movie.”

 

            “I hope he did. Anyway…we still have a couple of hours before dinner, so you want to shop around?” Tadashi asked.

 

            “If there’s nothing better to do, why not?” Hiro replied, shrugging.

 

            “Look for something you like. I’ll get it for you.” Tadashi offered sweetly. Hiro couldn’t help but blush.

 

            “It’s not my birthday yet…”

 

            “Close enough really. Seriously, let’s look around.” Tadashi said, linking his hand with Hiro’s.

 

            “A-and it’s not like you have to get me anything…” Hiro whispered.

 

            “I don’t,” Tadashi agreed. “But that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to.”

 

            It seemed like Hiro was going to retort, but he kept quiet, relenting to Tadashi’s offer.  The two wandered around the mall; it wasn’t until they came upon a jewelry store that Hiro suddenly came up with an idea for Tadashi.

 

            “You know…I’ve always wanted an earring,” Hiro said, gazing at the selection the store had. “Not sparkly like these but…a sleek black ring would be nice.”

 

            “Really? Well, let’s go then! There’s a piercing kiosk downstairs! They have much more….normal-looking earrings.” Tadashi said, smiling at Hiro.

 

            “W-what? Really?”

 

            “Yeah! Why not?”

 

            “…” Hiro didn’t have words to say, but the expression in his eyes was all Tadashi needed to understand.

 

            “Come on, there’s no harm in looking. Let’s go.”

 

            The pair made their way downstairs to the piercing kiosk. The kiosk wasn’t particular large (consisting of five glass cases enclosing a small area where the piercings were done), but the owners still managed to have quite a selection of earrings.  Tadashi and Hiro scanned each of the glass cases and talked about what kind of earring was the most suitable one for Hiro.

 

            “Are you thinking of a hoop earring or like, a stud?” Tadashi asked.

 

            “Hoop for sure. Preferably something small and not blatantly noticeable.” Hiro answered.

 

            “Oooh, what about that one? I think that one’s nice.” Tadashi said, drawing Hiro’s attention to a sleek black hoop earring.  It was no bigger than a dime and was quite thin.

 

            “Good eye. Yeah, that one’s perfect. I’ll get that one.” Hiro decided, making a quick mental note as to where the earring was so that he could point it out to an employee later. The two then proceeded back to the front of the kiosk to talk to the employee hovering over a tablet (probably used for processing orders and payments).

 

            “Hello, how can I help you?” a man named Rob (as Hiro and Tadashi read from his name tag) greeted. Rob had colorful tattoos all over his arms and a piercing on nearly all parts of his face and ears.

 

            “I’d like to get my right ear lobe pierced. I’m under the assumption that I just need to pay for the earring and the piercing is complimentary?” Hiro asked.

 

            “Yes sir. Please sign this form for me and I’ll set you up on our queue.  Are you over 18?”

 

            “I’m 20 actually. I know I don’t look it though. I can give you my ID if you want.”

 

            “No need man. I believe you. It’s just policy that I ask. Anyway, show me the earring you picked out and I’ll set it aside for you. Gregory’s our piercing person and he’ll be taking care of you. ”

 

            “Thanks.”

 

            “Do I need to help you with anything sir?” Rob addressed Tadashi.

 

            “No thank you. I’m not interested.” Tadashi was quick to respond; he didn’t miss how Hiro shot him a strange look in response.

 

            While Tadashi waited at the counter, Hiro brought Rob to the glass case where Tadashi had pointed out the perfect earring; with a careful hand, Rob extracted the small accessory and placed it into a small plastic bag.

 

            “I think Gregory’s just finishing up with his customer. You should be called for in a minute or so.”

 

            “Thanks. I’ll wait by the counter.”

 

            Tadashi and Hiro didn’t have to wait too long before a young girl (probably no more than 7 years old) and another heavily tattooed and pierced man, who must have been Gregory, stepped out from within the kiosk. To Tadashi’s slight horror, the girl’s eyes were wet with tears.

 

            “Next?” Gregory called, scanning the small crowd around the kiosk (the little girl was reunited with her parents who were waiting outside). Hiro eagerly got Gregory’s attention.

 

            “That’d be me. I have my earring right here!”

 

            “Alright, come on in.”

 

            Hiro tugged Tadashi into the kiosk with him; it made the area inside a little crowded, but Tadashi supposed that it was for the best. This way, he could observe if everything was hygienic and could comfort Hiro if he felt enough pain to cry like the little girl did (though he doubted Hiro would cry).

 

            Gregory didn’t address the two for a little bit; rather he was busy at his counter preparing everything he needed. To Tadashi’s relief and approval, Gregory spent a good couple of minutes cleaning all of his tools (and opening new ones) before he looked satisfied. Gregory also washed his hands and after drying them, put on black gloves. Gregory’s attention to neatness and cleanliness made Tadashi briefly think of Wasabi, and he allowed himself a quiet chuckle.

 

            “So, first piercing?” Gregory asked, making small talk. “And I see that your name is…Hiro?”

 

            “Yeah. I’ve been wanting one since I was 15. And yeah, that’s me. ” Hiro said.

 

            “What took you so long to finally decide to get one?”

 

            “My mom disapproves…not to an excessive degree but…enough to make me hold off on it for a couple of years.”

 

            “I see.”

 

            “Anyway, why was that girl from before crying? Does it hurt that much?” Hiro asked, clapping his dangling feet together. Gregory chuckled.

 

            “Nah, it doesn’t really hurt that much. But sometimes you get someone who has sensitive ears and it hurts a little more. The unfortunate thing is that you never know until you start piercing. It’s the same thing with tattoos.”

 

            “Ah.” Hiro replied.

 

            “Hopefully you’re not one of them,” Gregory said to Hiro, smiling in a friendly manner. “Oh, before I forget, take this antimicrobial solution. You’re going to need it for your ear after the piercing. Since it’s your first piercing, it’s on the house.”

 

            “Wow, thanks.”

 

            "No problem. Where would you like the earring to be? Point to the specific area on your ear lobe and I'll mark it." Gregory said as he pulled over a mirror for Hiro to look into.

  
  
            Hiro thought it over for a couple of seconds before pointing right at the center of his ear lobe. Gregory dutifully drew a small "x" on the spot Hiro pointed to with a marker and put the mirror away.

 

            “Now hold still, this will only take a second.”

 

           Gregory dabbed a small piece of gauze with alcohol and scrubbed all around Hiro’s ear lobe. After a couple of seconds (to let the alcohol dry), Gregory then held Hiro’s ear securely in between his strong fingers before placing the needle to the lobe. Hiro felt a brief pinch (it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle though) before he felt Gregory wrap his ear in a paper towel wet with antiseptic.

 

            “You’re going to want to keep using the antimicrobial solution I gave you for about a month or so. Just dab a little bit of solution with a Q-tip and clean around the piercing twice a day. You don’t have to remove the earring,” Gregory explained, securing said earring into Hiro’s ear.  “Other than that, you should be all set. Wasn’t too bad was it?”

 

            “Surprisingly no. The hardest part was seeing my boyfriend slowly turn white as a sheet.” Hiro said, drawing Gregory’s attention to Tadashi.

 

            “You ok man?” Gregory asked. He appeared slightly concerned.

 

            “Yeah, I’m fine.” Tadashi said, slightly flustered. He was feeling queasier than he’d like to admit though. As Hiro turned around, Tadashi could see the newly pierced ear lobe turn progressively redder; needless to say, that made the knot in his stomach even tighter.

 

            “I still think an earring would suit you. You sure you really don’t want one?” Hiro teased. “Black studs would compliment your nice big ears so well and it really doesn’t hurt at all!”

 

            “Now now Hiro, piercings aren’t for everyone,” Gregory chided gently, noticing Tadashi’s increasingly distressed body language. “Though I agree you would look good with a piercing or two. A pair of black studs would suit you.”

 

            “Thanks?” Tadashi said, appreciative of Gregory’s understanding nature.

 

            “No problem. Anyway, Hiro you’re all set. Just step out and head to Rob to pay for your earring.”

 

            “Thanks. Do you have a business card or something? I might get more piercings in the future and I really like how you work.”

 

            “Sure. Here you go,” Gregory said, handing Hiro a sleek black business card. “I sometimes work at the tattoo parlor down the street from here, so give me a call beforehand to see where I am on any given day. Thanks a lot.”

 

            “Thanks. See you around Gregory.”

 

            After Tadashi paid for Hiro’s earring, the two exited the mall and started walking to the place where they were going to have dinner. Tadashi kept quiet, mulling over his own thoughts. Hiro must have noticed Tadashi’s discomfort, because he started trailing timidly behind him. This continued on for about a block or two before Hiro finally spoke up.

 

            “Hey…um, if I hurt your feelings back there at the piercing place…I’m sorry.’ Hiro said softly. Tadashi turned around to see Hiro biting his lip, his eyes downcast. The two paused briefly in their walk.  

 

            “No…oh no no no,” Tadashi said, placing his hands on Hiro’s shoulders. “Don’t be sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

 

            “Then why are you suddenly upset? I can see it in your body language.”

 

            “Well, I’m not upset per say…or at least not at you! I’m fine Hiro, really.”

 

            “Tadashi…” Hiro said, raising an eyebrow. “Seriously, if there’s something you want to talk to me about…please let me know.”

 

            “You promise not to laugh? It’s kind of ridiculously silly.” Tadashi said softly, looking at Hiro.

 

            “I promise.” Hiro said firmly, his eyes resolute.

 

            “Well, the thing is…I’ve always been really self-conscious of my ears. They’re pretty um…prominent you know? I’ve always thought they made me…”

 

            Tadashi paused, looking down at his shoes.

 

            “I’ve always thought they made me look silly… or something of that nature. I got teased quite a bit when I was younger…not maliciously I guess, but it had made me self-conscious of my ears ever since. So when you started talking about my ‘big ears’ and how I should get a piercing or two…it just brought back all of those unpleasant memories from my childhood.”

 

            A brief awkward silence hung between the two before Hiro continued the conversation.

 

            “Do you still feel the same now?” Hiro asked softly. He never could’ve imagined that his boyfriend could feel self-conscious about his physical appearance. Wasn’t Tadashi quite handsome by all standards? But he silenced the thought quickly, realizing how pretentious it was to assume that Tadashi didn’t have insecurities just because he was attractive.

 

            “Well, it hasn’t crossed my mind all that much in recent years, but I’d be lying if I said that I’ve completely lost my feelings of insecurity in this particular department…”  

 

            “…Yeah, I can totally understand. And obviously, even if I said I didn’t think your ears looked silly at all, that wouldn’t be enough to get rid of your insecurities right?”

 

            “Right. Of course, it’s reassuring to have your support though.” Tadashi said, reaching over to tuck Hiro’s hair behind his newly pierced ear. Sunlight reflected off the newly inserted ring.

 

            “But anyway…that earring looks really good on you Hiro. I’m glad that you finally had a chance to get your ear pierced.”

 

            To Tadashi’s surprise, Hiro grimaced and swatted Tadashi’s hand away. It was a gentle swat, but it still made Tadashi’s heart leap into his throat. Did he say something wrong?

 

           “I do find your tendency to sweep your own feelings under the rug… _tiresome_ sometimes,” Hiro said, sighing. “Don’t blatantly change the subject like that. We’re not dropping this conversation just yet.”

 

            “…”

 

            Hiro tapped Tadashi on his nose gently, causing Tadashi to briefly flinch in response.

 

            “The obvious first step to this problem is to put yourself first for once. Stop trying to bottle up everything inside Tadashi. It’s not healthy…nor is it fair for you to do that to yourself.”

 

            “But…”

 

            “But nothing. I love you ok? And because I do, I don’t want you to feel obligated to keep all these unhappy thoughts to yourself. I know how hard it is to be self conscious about something. You don’t deserve to let it get you down. We’ll work on it together, because we’re a team right?”

 

            “…You’re right.”

  
            “…As usual am I right or am I right?” Hiro joked lightly. Tadashi gently pinched Hiro’s cheek in retaliation.

 

            “Don’t get snarky with me young man.”

 

            “Aww, but you like that about me.” Hiro cooed. He stood up on his toes to give Tadashi a chaste kiss on his cheek.

 

            “…I can’t deny that one.” Tadashi replied, reciprocating the affectionate gesture.

            

            The two shared a nice laugh together before they started walking again, hands now comfortably linked. The tension that hung between the two before was all gone now, much to the relief of both parties.

 

            “You know…remember that couple challenge question that you answered? That thing about something physical you liked about your partner?” Hiro asked as they turned onto the street that the restaurant was on.

 

            “Yeah, how could I ever forget?” Tadashi said, grimacing.

 

            “I’m not sure if you’ll believe me, because the timing might seem inappropriate, but um…if I was the one who had to answer that question…I would have said your ears…”

 

             “You’re pulling my leg…”

 

             “No really…I mean it. I thought of an answer to all of your questions because…you know, why not? And that was my answer to that one. Honest.” Hiro said, almost shyly.

 

             “You really mean it?” Tadashi asked softly, not yet convinced that Hiro could ever be particularly fond of his ears. Who could ever be fond of his ears?

 

             “Yeah. Really.” Hiro said firmly, gazing straight into Tadashi’s eyes.

 

             “Heh…guess we both have this weird tendency of choosing very…unusual physical traits to love huh?”

 

             “Yeah, we’re pretty weird, period. What else is new?” Hiro asked rhetorically, eliciting a chuckle from Tadashi.

 

             “Since we’re on the topic anyway…how would you have answered the outfit question? I’m curious now.”

 

             “…Well I thought the whole point of the couple game was for you to guess what I would’ve answered. I’m not going to just TELL you.”

 

             “Unbelievable. You’re making me wonder if you really meant the ear thing now.”  Tadashi teased lightly.

 

             “You SO mature,” Hiro said, rolling his eyes. “But fine I’ll tell you. The answer I had originally was ‘a nice suit and tie’ but…what you’re wearing now was a close second.”

 

             “Oh…” Tadashi couldn’t help but smile a little, despite feeling embarrassed.

 

             “Don’t let it get to your head too much. Oh look, we’re here!” Hiro said, pointing at something to Tadashi’s right.

 

             “Tadashi gazed up to see a sign that had “Suzume” neatly printed in Hiragana font.

 

             “Huh. So we are.” Tadashi said. All too suddenly, Tadashi felt a little sick to his stomach. This was really happening…a dinner with Hiro!  _Am I going to make a fool of myself?_ Tadashi thought.

 

             “After you.” Tadashi said as he opened the door, bowing low to hide his sudden nervousness.

 

             “Ugh, stop being so embarrassing you nerd. Come on.” Hiro said, pulling Tadashi in after him.

 

             The sushi restaurant was smaller than Tadashi had imagined, but it still gave off the air of a highly respectable establishment. The restaurant’s décor had a very modern feel to it; all of the furniture was sleek and of a fashionable black color. The tables were all decorated with one small candle each that glowed like a firefly would on a warm July night. The walls were constructed with clean natural-beige wooden slabs that contrasted nicely with the immaculate white of the floor tiles. When Tadashi gazed upwards at the ceiling (which was comfortably high and gave the restaurant an airy feel), he noticed that there were two layers of lights; he figured that one of the layers was for daytime lighting and one of the layers was for nighttime lighting. At the very moment, the set of lights that were turned on were dim, setting a serene mood perfect for a nice dinner.

 

             There were a couple of other people scattered about in the restaurant, but for the most part, the restaurant wasn’t particularly crowded and thus there wasn’t too much noise; Tadashi imagined that that would change in about an hour or so when the dinner rush would happen. But in the meantime, he was very appreciative of the lack of hustle and bustle, as that would’ve made the whole affair more nerve wracking.

 

             The two didn’t have to go far before they found the maitre d’, who had a small station situated near the front door.

 

             “Good evening gentlemen. How may I help you this fine evening?” The maitre d’ asked smoothly. A small, but nonetheless eye-catching, name tag on the man’s suit read, “Wayne”.

 

             “We have a reservation for Tadashi Hamada and Hiro Takachiko.” Tadashi said.

 

             “Ah. Yes, you are friends of Mr. Wayans. You must know him as ‘Wasabi’ correct?”

 

             “Yes sir.” Tadashi said, surprised to hear Wasabi being addressed by his last name. He hadn’t heard it spoken in awhile.

 

             “Mmm. I’m not surprised that he could never quite live that particular incident down. I am charmed to meet you. I’ll show you to your table. Please follow me.”

 

             “Thank you.”

 

             The couple followed Wayne to a small table for two near the back of the restaurant. Tadashi noticed that their table was right next to a beautiful aquarium full of koi fish.

 

             “You’ll be able to enjoy better privacy at this table compared to most of the others. Thought you two might appreciate that. Oh, and of course you have a great view of our fish too.”

 

             “We do appreciate it. Thank you very much.” Hiro said.

 

             “It’s my pleasure. Here are your menus. Your waiter will be with you shortly. If you need anything in the mean time, please let me know.”

 

             “Alright. Take it easy.” Tadashi said appreciatively, opening his menu. Wayne gave a small bow before he left the two to their business.

               

             Both Tadashi and Hiro spent about a minute or so looking over the menu before discussing what they each wanted. The orders on their lists were pretty ordinary until Hiro reached the third page of the menu.

 

             “Let’s order the ‘Fire Fire Fire*’ roll!!” Hiro said, pointing at something on the third page of the menu. Tadashi turned to the appropriate page and read the order description.

 

             “You like spicy stuff? I should get Aunt Cass to make you some of her special chicken wings,” Tadashi said, laughing at Hiro’s excited exclamation. “They make your face all numb.”

               

             “No way.”

 

             “No seriously, they are amazing! Maybe I’ll help her prepare some for your birthday.”

 

             “I’ll hold you to that offer.” Hiro said in a very serious tone. Tadashi couldn’t help but laugh.

 

             “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Tadashi said. Just then, the waiter came up from behind Tadashi and politely introduced himself.

 

             “Hello I’m Virgil and I’ll be your waiter tonight. Are you guys ready to order?”

 

            The two quickly placed their orders and were once again left to their own devices.

 

            “So we are celebrating your birthday together then? You know, since you’re making me keep this promise to you and all.” Tadashi asked.

 

            “If you really want to,” Hiro said, tone nonchalant but his eyes gleaming hopefully. “I usually just spend the day alone. Two years ago, my mom dropped in for a surprise visit, but I don’t think she’ll do that this year. She seems pretty busy.”

 

            “Would you like the rest of our friends to celebrate with you too?”

 

            “Mmm…I wouldn’t mind. If they’re free that is.”

 

            The two talked about celebration plans until Virgil came back with their food. _If the food tastes as good as it looks, I’ll be a happy man_ Tadashi thought, looking at the colorful and delightful arrangements. After cracking open their disposable chopsticks, the two dug into their dinner.

 

            “Here, try one of the ‘Fire Fire Fire’ rolls.” Hiro offered Tadashi a couple minutes later.

 

            Tadashi had half-expected Hiro to simply push his food towards him, but was surprised to see that Hiro had picked up the piece of sushi and was holding it towards him. Needless to say, he gleefully ate the offered piece of sushi.

 

            “Hm…it’s not as spicy as I thought it’d be,” Tadashi said after he swallowed. “It’s still really good though.”

 

            “Yeah, the spiciness factor is there, but not as much as I thought it’d be. It’s just a little disappointing.” Hiro said, having another bite.

 

            “Want some of my Ninja** roll?” Tadashi asked.

 

            “Yes please.” Hiro said, and before Tadashi could even blink, he had snatched a piece from his plate and popped it into his mouth.

 

            “Oh so you get to feed me but I don’t get to feed you? That seems fair.” Tadashi said, pouting indignantly. Hiro giggled.

 

            “Yep, pretty much. Sorry not sorry. Here, have some shrimp tempura.” Hiro said, picking a piece up with his chopsticks and once again holding food up to Tadashi’s mouth.

 

            “Unbelievable.” Tadashi muttered, though he ate the shrimp tempura anyway (when a normal person probably would’ve stubbornly refused). Whipped, that’s what he totally was, but Tadashi found that he didn’t truly mind all that much.

 

            The rest of the dinner was filled with similar light-hearted moments, much to Tadashi’s relief; it seemed that most of his worrying was for naught because conversation with Hiro didn’t die out or become awkward again. After eating a serving of complimentary ice cream, the two paid their bill (they went 50/50) and left the restaurant in high spirits.

 

            It was a little after 8 when Hiro and Tadashi made it to the bus stop. All of the seats at the bus stop happened to be empty, so the two sat down, side by side, and gazed at the sunset.

 

            “I had a lot of fun today,” Hiro said, reaching over and taking Tadashi’s hand in his own. “Thanks Tadashi.”

 

            “You’re welcome Hiro. I’m really glad you had fun. I was really worried about making this date nice.”

 

            “You would, you worrywart.” Hiro said half-exasperatedly, half-affectionately. Hiro then flopped against Tadashi’s shoulder.

 

            “Tired?” Tadashi asked softly, brushing Hiro’s hair.

 

            “Yeah,” Hiro said, promptly yawning a little. “It has been a long day.”

 

            “I don’t think the bus is going to come for another 10 minutes, so you can take a quick power nap.”

 

            “Mmm…” Hiro said, making himself more comfortable. After Hiro settled in, Tadashi placed his head gently on top of Hiro’s, quietly enjoying his boyfriend’s warmth.

 

            When Tadashi noticed the bus arriving from a distance 10 minutes later, he affectionately nuzzled Hiro’s neck to wake him up.

 

            “Mmm…five more minutes…” Hiro whined.

 

            “Come on Hiro, you wouldn’t want to miss the bus. The sooner we ride the bus, the sooner we can get you back home to your nice warm bed.” Tadashi said. Said bus pulled up right in front of them and the driver opened the door to let passengers out.

 

            “Mmm ok ok…” Hiro yawned loudly, much to Tadashi’s amusement. When the two entered the bus, Tadashi paid the fare for the both of them, figuring that he could save Hiro the trouble of fishing for his wallet. The minute they sat down again, Hiro went back to napping against Tadashi’s shoulder; from the corner of his eye, Tadashi saw two girls giggling and whispering to one another, their line of sight focused on him and Hiro.  Tadashi felt himself inadvertently blushing at the attention, but decided to pay no mind; after all, he was happy in Hiro’s company and that was that. _Maybe I should apply this kind of mentality to my ears huh?_ Tadashi rhetorically thought.

 

            The bus ride to Hiro’s house took about 20 minutes; by the time they got off the bus, it was quite dark out. Before Hiro made his way to open his garage door, Tadashi gently tapped his shoulder to get his attention.

 

            “Do I get a goodnight kiss?” Tadashi asked, tone hopeful. Hiro couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

 

            “We’ve only been dating for three months Tadashi…” Hiro teased lightly.

 

            “It never hurts to get permission.” Tadashi said firmly. Hiro giggled.

           

            “I know. But yes, you can kiss me. Better make it good, or you might just ruin the whole date for me.”

 

            “I’ll try my best.” Tadashi said before he closed the distance between them.

 

            The kiss was tender and sweet. When they broke apart, Tadashi smiled gently at Hiro before kissing him on the cheek; Tadashi lingered for a couple of seconds before he affectionately pulled Hiro into a hug.

 

            “Goodnight Hiro. Sleep well.” Tadashi said. His heart hurt a little to say goodbye, but he knew it had to be done (he knew that Hiro needed his space and it was probably healthy for him to get some space too).

 

            “Night…you big nerd. “Hiro said as he opened his garage door.

 

            Tadashi waited until Hiro closed the garage door soundly behind him before he started walking back home (he didn’t want to bother waiting for the bus again).

 

            It took Tadashi a little under 40 minutes to arrive back at the Lucky Cat Café. As Tadashi walked up to the counter, he was happy to see that his aunt was already making preparations for closing the café (it wasn’t closing time just yet, but it was only 20 minutes away). On Aunt Cass’ end, she was absolutely delighted to see the return of her nephew.

 

            “Hi sweetie! How was your date?” Aunt Cass asked, clearly excited to hear about Tadashi’s adventures.

 

            “It was nice…I was horribly awkward at times because I was nervous but…somehow things worked out.” Tadashi answered truthfully. He grabbed a wash towel from the counter in preparation for wiping down the tables.

 

            “Awww. Well, I believe that the more nervous you are on a date, the more genuine you are,” Aunt Cass said. “Since you care about him so much, of course you’re going to get worried about making sure he’s happy and having a good time.”

 

            “That’s a motivating way to look at it I guess…” Tadashi said.

 

            “Being cool and being suave are overrated. I’m sure Hiro had a wonderful time.”

           

            “Thanks Aunt Cass. Oh, did you know that Hiro got an earring?”

 

            The two conversed about Tadashi’s and Hiro’s date as they cleaned up the café together. When the topic of Hiro liking spicy food came up, Aunt Cass got really excited.

 

            “Oh I can’t wait for him to try my chicken wings!”

 

            “I promised him that I’d help you make some for his upcoming birthday.”

 

            “Oh his birthday’s coming up soon? When?”

 

            “In a week, as I found out.”

 

            “Oh my, that’s quick! I hope you’re planning something. After all, it’s the big ‘21st’ birthday.”

 

            “Yeah, I have something in mind. I’m just going to confirm it with my friends first.”

 

            “Alright honey,” Aunt Cass replied, reading Tadashi like a book. “Just make sure to be careful ok? Whatever it is you end up doing, I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

 

            “Yes, Aunt Cass.”

 

            “You can go on upstairs Tadashi. I’ll finish up the rest here. You must be tired.”

 

            Tadashi was feeling pretty tired, so he retired early to his room. After taking a quick shower and brushing his teeth, Tadashi received a phone call from Honey Lemon; it seemed that while he was on his date with Hiro, the group of friends had spent a long day working at their school laboratory together. They had just finished cleaning up and had some free time to check up on their friend.

 

            “Hey Tadashi! Are you back home yet? Is Hiro with you?” Honey Lemon asked.

 

            “I’m back home, and no Hiro’s not with me. I dropped him off at his house before I came back to the café.”

 

            “Oh I see. How was your date?” Honey Lemon asked. Tadashi chuckled lightly, knowing very well that she had just put him on speaker and that all of his friends were now listening in onto the conversation.

 

            “It was nice. I was a nervous wreck half the time but I survived the day.”

 

            “Was it because I dressed Hiro too cutely?” Honey Lemon teased. Tadashi could hear Fred chortling in the background.

 

            “That was part of it I guess…” Tadashi chuckled.

 

            The conversation between the group of friends continued on for a solid half hour; Tadashi felt a sense of nostalgia as the time ticked by. When he mentioned that Hiro’s birthday was going to be in a week, his friends got excited again, quite similar to the way they did earlier in the week when Tadashi had called for them to meet up in the café.

 

            “We’re all inviting ourselves to this, obviously.” Gogo said, blunt as ever.

 

            “How old is he turning again, 21?” Wasabi asked.

 

            “Yep,” Tadashi answered.”You guys down for some board games and alcohol? It’ll just be like old times.”

 

            Judging from how loud the nerd crew got in response, Tadashi knew that Hiro’s birthday celebration was going to be one to remember.

 

FIN

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note:  
> *Fire Fire Fire Roll – Spicy Tuny & seaweed salad with spicy crunchy salmon and jalapeno  
> **Ninja Roll – Fried soft shell crab, cucumber, and mayo w/ eel and avocado 
> 
> I had been planning on writing this installment for awhile, but it didn’t quite flesh out until I played around with the idea of Hiro getting his ears pierced. That idea is courtesy of the very talented sorarts at tumblr (lol it took FOREVER to find the post again on my blog orz) for the art inspiration. You can also say that my best friend inspired this because we’ve been talking about “childhood dreams” a lot recently….so that formed the basis of Hiro’s arc in this story (lolol I’m lame I’m sorry…)  
> And the craziest thing happened. Two days after I started writing this, my friends and I went to the mall and one of them got one of her old piercings re-pierced. It was the most surreal thing ever and when I told her, she laughed heartily. Fate is weird sometimes.  
> Anyway, I’ve always headcanoned that Tadashi was self-conscious of his ears while growing up…I mean really they’re quite large and noticeable, and the minute anything becomes noticeable, people will feel the urge to comment on it *dry laughter* That being said, I believe that Hiro loves Tadashi’s ears to bits regardless. :) Hopefully one day Tadashi will too.  
> Speaking of tumblr, you can now find me at RL4r.tumblr.com. I don’t know why but I think my posts don’t show up in the tags;;; So…I guess the only way to really find me is to spread the fact of my existence here xD. If you have the time, please drop by and say hello! I’d love to talk with people about my series/other Hidashi things in general. : ) The blog hasn’t really been active much lately….but I promise it’ll get more active if more people start talking to me there xDDD lmao  
> Hope to talk to you guys~ <3


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